Customizing the user interface

Users with administrative privileges can customize the modeling user interface by disabling some parts of the interface for some user roles.

Users who are members of those roles can't perform certain tasks when they view or edit data modules. For example, users might not be able to apply data security for data server sources or edit joins when the related user interface features are disabled for them.

About this task

This functionality is available for Cognos roles only. For more information, see Customizing roles.

Procedure

  1. In the Manage administration interface, click People > Accounts.
  2. Click the Cognos namespace, and locate the role for which you want to customize the user interface.

    The role Modelers is associated with data modules, but you can also apply the customizations to other roles in the Cognos namespace.

  3. From the role context menu Vertical actions menu icon, click Properties.
  4. On the Customization tab, click the Features chevron button chevron icon.
  5. Select the Data Module category.

    Most of the data module features that you might want to customize are grouped under Application Bar, Navigation Bar, and Context Menus.

    For example, go to Data Modules > Context Menus > Shaping options to customize the following features:

    • Set data security - ability to apply data security for data servers
    • Create relationship - ability to create relationships between tables
    • Edit relationship - ability to edit relationship joins
    • Create basic calculation and Edit basic calculation - ability to create and edit calculations without using the expression editor.
    • Create custom calculation and Edit custom calculation - ability to create and edit calculations by using the expression editor.
    • Navigation path - ability to create navigation paths
  6. To disable a feature, clear its checkbox.
  7. Click Apply to save the changes.

Results

All access points to the disabled feature are not available for the affected roles. For example, when you disable the Edit relationship feature, the join editing options are not available in the table and column context menus, the diagram and custom table views, and the properties panel.